A vast, endless darkness stretched before him, cold and empty. He floated aimlessly, as if suspended in an eternal void. There was no light, no sound, no sense of time passing. He couldn't feel his body; it was as if he were a mere consciousness drifting in the abyss.
"Is this it?" he thought bitterly. "After everything I fought for, after all the power I gained... to end up like this?"
His last memories were still vivid. The betrayal, the pain, the anger—it all seared through his mind like an open wound. He had been one of the strongest cultivators in his world, standing on the precipice of immortality. But in his final moments, the people he trusted most had turned against him, sending him into this eternal void.
Just as despair began to creep into his heart, a voice echoed from the darkness.
"Do you want revenge?"
He flinched, his eyes darting around in confusion. 'Who was that?' How could there be anyone else in this emptiness? Was this some trick? Or had his mind finally shattered from the loneliness?
Before he could dwell on the thought, the voice spoke again, its tone rich with amusement. "Yes, revenge. You could make them suffer for what they did to you. Wouldn't that be... satisfying?"
His heart raced with excitement, a rush of anger fueling his desire for vengeance. "Yes! I'll make them feel everything I felt—tenfold!"
But his happiness was cut short as the voice let out a soft laugh. "Oh, I'm just kidding."
Suddenly, his excitement turned to cold neutrality. He'd been through too much to be played with like this. He remained silent, refusing to let the voice have the satisfaction of seeing him lose control.
"Don't be so serious. I can't send you back to your old world, but..." The voice trailed off, then spoke with a slight teasing edge. "I can give you a new opportunity."
He didn't respond, though his curiosity piqued. A new opportunity? What could this mysterious voice be planning?
"You will be reborn. A fresh start. New experiences, new challenges... and who knows? Maybe you'll find something you didn't have before."
"And what do you get out of this?" he asked, his tone flat.
A light chuckle echoed through the void. "Let's just say, I enjoy watching... stories unfold. Now go. Enjoy your new life."
Before he could protest, everything went black.
---
When he opened his eyes again, the world around him was bright, blurry, and unfamiliar. He blinked several times, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. 'Where am I?' The room he was in was small, cluttered with simple furnishings, and reeked of neglect. It wasn't like any place he remembered.
Slowly, the goddess's words echoed in his mind: "I can't send you back to your old world."
"So, this is... a new world?"
A surge of excitement replaced his confusion. New opportunities meant new power, and perhaps most importantly, new women. His lips curled into a smirk as thoughts of a more carefree life filled his mind.
But just as he was savoring the thought, a sharp pain tore through his skull, forcing him to clutch his head in agony. The memories of the body's previous owner flooded his mind like a broken dam.
He saw flashes of a boy's life—a boy who was scorned, mocked, and mistreated. Born a bastard child of a powerful family, he had been ignored by his own father and ridiculed by his siblings. At 17 years old, the boy had suffered a pitiful death at the hands of those who hated him.
The pain subsided, leaving him breathless. Slowly, he began to sift through the memories, piecing together the situation he now found himself in. His new identity was far from ideal—an outcast, despised by all.
"But that's not a problem." In his past life, he had clawed his way to the top from nothing. This time, it would be no different. The indifference in his heart remained intact. Power was all that mattered, and this time, he would take it without rushing, enjoying all the pleasures life had to offer.
Just as he finished sorting the memories, a strange, transparent window appeared before him. Numbers, symbols, and words floated in the air.
"What... is this?" He reached out, waving his hand through the image, but it didn't disappear. Confusion flickered in his eyes. This wasn't anything like the cultivation techniques he knew of.
Before he could investigate further, a familiar voice echoed in his head—the same voice that had spoken to him in the void. "This is your system. It will guide you on your new path... fulfilling your every desire."